Funeral for Baruch

Instead of crying, a reason to sing.

This is a story that I read in the Jerusalem Post a number of years ago, written by Rabbi Stewart Weiss, of the Jewish Outreach Center of Ra'anana. Now, understand, I am really a skeptic at heart when it comes to things like this, and I could not believe such a story was true, so I actually went to Mount Herzl and found the Shapiro grave. Seeing the headstone in the cemetery with the inscription matching the information in the newspaper account convinced me that the story is true. And because it is such a beautiful story, I will share it with you now:

Chaim Shapiro went through the seven levels of hell. He survived four concentration camps not to mention the ghetto and forced marches. He began the War with eight children and a wonderful wife, and in a little over a year, he lost his wife and seven of his children, without ever having the chance to even sit shiva.

He was finally liberated from Buchenwald with his only surviving son Baruch and they wallowed in the DP camps for nearly three years until finally, in 1948, they found place aboard an immigrant ship and arrived in Israel a week later.

Israel, in the midst of the War of Independence, was fighting a desperate battle for survival against overwhelming odds, so Baruch Shapiro volunteered to fight.

With no previous training, he was taken to a ravine, handed a rifle, taught how to shoot a few bullets, and sent off to war.

Meanwhile, with the stipend that he received from the Jewish Agency, his father Chaim rented a small apartment outside Tel Aviv.

Baruch Shapiro distinguished himself in battle. As part of the Harel Brigade fighting under Yitzhak Rabin to break the Arab siege on Jerusalem, Baruch received a field commission as an officer and was awarded a medal for bravery under fire.

And then, one day, as Chaim Shapiro was sitting in his tiny living room in Tel Aviv, he glanced out the window and saw one of those terrible delegations heading up the path to his apartment.

They say that Chaim Shapiro opened the door before they knocked, and they say that he never even read the telegram, just crumpled it over and over in his hands....

When a soldier in Israel is killed, the army takes care of everything, including the funeral arrangements. Chaim Shapiro had only one request: he wanted his son who had died fighting for Jerusalem to at least be buried in Jerusalem, on Mount Herzl, the National Military cemetery.

The next afternoon hundreds of mourners gathered at Mount Herzl. Most of them had never known Baruch Shapiro or his father Chaim, but they had heard of the terrible tragedy and wanted to pay their respects. After all, what Hitler had not finished in the crematoria had ended at the hands of an Arab bullet; this was the last Shapiro son; the end of a line.

As the coffin was being lowered into the ground, Chaim Shapiro began to sing.

And as the coffin was being lowered into the ground, Chaim Shapiro began to sing.

People thought he had lost it; Yadin put his arm around Chaim's shoulders and someone ran to get him some water. But he shrugged them all off, and again, began to sing. People had no idea what to make of it, so finally Chaim Shapiro looked at them and said: "You know, I have been through a hell the likes of which most people cannot imagine; I lost over seventy relatives in a little over a year, including seven children, my wife and parents. I have no place to mourn them, no grave; they are ashes in the skies over Europe, and I have no idea why they had to die.

"But this son, at least this son, I know why he died. He died so we could have a home for the Jewish people in the land of Israel, and he has a grave, here on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. And that is not a reason to cry, it is a reason to sing."

When Chaim Shapiro finished speaking, he began to sing once more, and grabbing people's hands, to dance.

And as the flag-draped coffin of Baruch Shapiro was lowered into the ground, three hundred mourners began to sing and to dance against the setting sun of the Jerusalem sky...

The next time you visit Israel, go to Mount Herzl, Israel's National Military Cemetery, her Arlington. And when you walk through the wide stone gates, walk up and then down to the right where the graves from 1948 lie, and you will find the lonely grave of one Baruch Shapiro. Close your eyes there, and you will understand perhaps, why the Jewish people will never be destroyed.

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About the Author

Rabbi Binny Freedman is the Educational Director of the Isralight Institute. He is also a company Commander in the Israel Defense Forces. He will be teaching in the United States for the next two years.

Visitor Comments: 23

I forgot to mention that he is buried in section Aleph 18, at the end of the row (his gravestone is the bottom one).

(22)
Jeffrey Freedman,
January 19, 2009 10:31 AM

If you want to visit

I read this article when it was published and printed it out since I knew that I'd be going to Israel and wanted to take the Rabbi up on his suggestion to pay my respects. Well, today I did! It was a bit of a process but for anyone who does want to pay their respects, you can find the information under Chaim Baruch (not Baruch) Shapira (not Shapiro). He was killed on May 5, 1948 at the age of 28. His grave registration number is 173465. May he and all of the rest of the soldiers rest in peace. Their ultimate sacrifice was not and will not be in vain.

(21)
zina,
November 12, 2008 12:12 PM

Am Yisrael Chai!!!!

(20)
Cheryl Ruth,
August 28, 2008 1:23 PM

beautiful

A story that made me cry! May HaShem continue to bless and keep Israel!

(19)
Allan F. Hyatt,
August 27, 2008 6:01 PM

one heck of a sory

Inspirational story that brought tears to my eyes. G-D bless the State of Israel and all of of us Jews everwhere...nuff said!!

(18)
Beverly Kurtin,
August 27, 2008 2:13 PM

No more tears

Our family lost 47 relatives to the Holocaust. A denier happened to be in my house and saw a large pin that said never forget the Six Million. He scoffed, and said, it's time to forget that lie, it never happened.
It was the only time in my life that I took another person by the neck and his belt and THREW him out of my house.
I now walk around most of time with a pair of Star of David earrings so people will know at a glance who and what I am: A Jew. I hope to visit Israel some day only to leave a stone at Baruch's headstone.
I've no more tears to shed today.

(17)
julián ramírez muñoz,
August 27, 2008 8:23 AM

wow.

no words to say... really :')

(16)
Ruth Eastman,
August 27, 2008 6:56 AM

And the story goes on, baruch Hashem...

...And Chaim Shapiro started a new family, and his son taught Torah to my son, who is now a soldier in the Golani Brigade...
Am Yisrael Chai.

(15)
Chana Jenny Weisberg,
August 26, 2008 11:41 AM

amazing

This is so beautiful, so poignant. A small miracle of the human spirit. Thank you for sharing this story.

(14)
Robert,
August 26, 2008 9:45 AM

Inspiration

What an inspirational article! Men like this are complete heros. Its so unfortunete to have to endure tragedy, but to react in such a positive manner is absolutely extraordinary. I like to think I would respond like that.
The story makes me proud to be Jewish and increases my resolve to make it to Israel some day.
Thank you for writing this.

(13)
Ester,
August 25, 2008 11:07 PM

Sad footnote

Another example of how the Holocaust survivors were denigrated in Israel for "going like sheep to the slaughter". They were derisively called "sabonim" (soaps) and sent to the front without training to serve as cannon fodder. What a sad shanda.

(12)
Kate,
August 25, 2008 5:56 PM

We have to stand strong against the recent way of acting of the Israeli government

Beautiful story with a great message - thank you!!
When reading this, after hearing the news this morning (- 199 prisoners freed, 2 with blood on their hands!!) and the last few years (expulsion of the Jews from Gush Katif, releasing samir kuntar without knowing if the soldiers Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser are dead or alive, ...), I don't know what to think... How many pain and sadness, endless devotion, lives, etc. it took to get back our holy and beautiful Homeland, and nowadays they play around with it as if it were 'monopoly-ground'...! We have to pray alot and stand stronger against this way of doing and against this kind of decisions! When we don't react when such a decision is taken, or do react but don't fight till the end, we actually give them 'green light' to do whatever they want and go on this way! We have to unite as a big group and stand strong when such decisions are taken!

(11)
Christopher (Kalev) Blevins,
August 25, 2008 5:22 PM

And Let Us Say Amen

Amen

(10)
Sandra Hepner,
August 25, 2008 2:41 AM

Suffering...

Why do people have to have such suffering..???
Is for the sins of the gathers going back ten generations..
Surely the World can restructure its systems so that we do not inflict suffering on each other or even kill one another...??!!

(9)
Andrea Pullman,
August 24, 2008 6:50 PM

How gratitude can help others

I WAS FEELING SO SORRY FOR MYSELF THIS WEEK BECAUSE MY GROWN, MARRIED DAUGHTER WHO HAS ONE HEALTHY YOUNG CHILD HAD A MISCARRIAGE. I WAS ONCE VERY WEALTHY AND LOST IT ALL AND HAD TO MOVE AWAY FOR MANY REASONS. I FELT SO helpless NOT BEING IN New York to hold her and console her!!This article showed me what is impotant in life!!!
Chaim is my Hero!!!!!!

(8)
alan nydick,
August 24, 2008 6:48 PM

this story validates why we can not allow israel to be annihilated.

with iran, syria, lebanon from outside of israel and hizbollah and hamas within threatening our homeland the story of chaim shapiro resonates....may we sing and dance when the madmen who hate our beloved israel are dead and buried.....before doing any further damage to eretz yisrael.

(7)
Boris Suster,
August 24, 2008 5:39 PM

The true spirit of strentgh

Chaim Shapiro taught us a lesson in dignity and forbearance at all costs. He is the quintessential Jew who teaches his brethren that Faith and Love are stronger than any sacrifice one must make in order to preserve our future. His son paid the highest price so that we may have a homeland to look back to. May both Chaim and Baruch Z'L be blessed by our G-d for ever and may we never forget them. Amen

(6)
ruth housman,
August 24, 2008 2:25 PM

extraordinary coincidences

This deep and poignant story is excerpted from a book of extraordinary coincidences.
These days there is special attention being brought to the notion of coincidence. There are more books than ever on this subject. What does this mean, at deepening levels? What can this mean? Is this merely a quirk of fate, or do we need to re-examine the notion of what is random?
Certainly Carl Jung wrote about this thing we call beshert or synchronicity many years ago.
When amazing stories precipitate so frequently out of the ordinary, what does one make then, of the construction of universe?
There are profound questions here for us all.

(5)
Anonymous,
August 24, 2008 11:55 AM

How sad

Actually, sad doesn't sum up this story. Why does God allow the Jews - or any of us - to suffer so much.

(4)
Karrie Rue,
August 24, 2008 11:49 AM

Funeral for Baruch

What an amazing story! It really helped me make the connection with this past Torah Portion at how the land and the Jews are so close, Thanks.

(3)
tova wald,
August 24, 2008 8:29 AM

Survival of the Spirit

Rabbi Freedman has written a very poignant, moving story that will remain forever with us. Chaim Shapiro suffered a great loss. Yet he was able to derive a sense of purpose in his remaining son's death. Baruch did not die in vain. He died as a Jew. A hero, fighting to defend our Jewish Homeland. Honoring his family who perished in the Holocaust. May his memory never be forgotten and his soul and the souls of the others forever bound to the Jewish people.

(2)
Anonymous,
August 24, 2008 7:19 AM

follow-up

Exceptionally moving story, tragic yet beautiful and inspiring. Can you add follow-up about Chaim Shapiro's life?
Did he ever remarry?
May his family lost in WW II and his son Baruch z"l, H"yd, experience the eternal joys of Gan Eden.

(1)
Anonymous,
August 24, 2008 6:37 AM

This gave me goosebumps. There aren't people like this today

People today are too selfcentered and have no feeling of the bigger picture.